In the Moonlight
by Dark Lord Link
Summary: In the moonlight, a tall warrioress seeks solitude and the cold Halloween night in place of a warmth she can not take back with her when the tournament ends. Halloween special. (Link/Samus)


**IN THE MOONLIGHT**

The late hours had settled. Fall had come, and the forest was auburn with a crispy blight. The cold had killed the leaves to make way for the next cycle of life in the coming months. The leaves were still falling, sailing through the hushed cold winds on the late October night. Tall trees surrounded, engraving the woodland with an otherworldly beauty that was macabre, eerie, yet enchanting.

The coo of the wind blurred the senses, blowing away all senses of sorrow typically expected of a dreary holiday such as Halloween. The woods seemed lifeless tonight, no sign of wildlife were about. The orange grass tickled itself in the wave of the endless gusts. Through the half vacant branches of the tall oaks, the pale light of the full moon shined brightly.

In the quiet and settled grounds, soft foot steps stalked. As she passed the trees by, she lost herself in thought; retreating her tired and troubled mind into the cold silence. Her heart had grown heavy with burden, a guilt she did not expect from a bit of warmth. Lifting her gaze from the forest floor to gaze at the magnificently large and bright full moon, the tall lady revealed her pale skin, fair as an angel. Her deep blue eyes locked with the star-filled night, and the mother rock's light.

The moon. She once thought that the moon was the mother of the stars, they seemed to cluster around it like little children seeking her warmth and love. The tall lady smiled. Nearby, the sounds of a lake caught her ears, carried by the cooling wind's will.

Stepping across the grasslands, passing the tall, dying trees, and ducking beneath the low branches, she came to a stop. Ahead lay the large lake, still filled with lily pads, though they had seen better days. Even the lake, normally vibrant with aquatic creatures, seemed devoid of occupants. The only movement was provided by the wind.

Reaching the shore line, she peered down at her reflection. Long, blond hair graced her head, tied in a pony-tail with two bangs flanking her soft pale cheeks. Thin pink lips locked in a blank expression greeted her. Her blue eyes, surrounded by black mascara; examined the black suit she wore. Its leather hugged her frame well, attached to the back was a long veil that draped her entire form, ending by her feet with a wicked cutout. She opened her mouth and held out her hand, dropping a pair of fake vampire teeth into her palm. The sleeveless gown did little to protect her from the cold, but she didn't care.

No amount of clothing could ever warm her. Her heart had been encased with ice for so long, she forgot what it was like to be warm and to feel warm. That was before the tournament...

She remembered it all vividly, her first day in the Smash Brother's core during the first tournament. She had been pitted against numerous fighters, many of them well rounded with their abilities. But none like him. She sighed, rubbing her right arm slowly in a vain attempt to push the cold away. She had tried for so long to escape its clutches, to no avail.

That was, until she met him. Like before, she had never experienced a more balanced and experienced fighter. But beyond his cold exterior, and his warrior facade, she also came to know how warm he was off the battlefield. He was young, but held a lifetime of experience within him, knowledge beyond his years.

She had never seen him smile, he had no reason to smile. Much like herself, his life was not easy, it was anything but easy. And like her, he had to accept that he was alone in the world. But despite it all, he had never been snappy. He never spoke ill of others. He was entirely respectful for one who had been through as much as she had. He rarely spoke, another quality they shared. For he, like herself, had little to say; opting to let action speak louder than their voice.

But when he did spoke, it was for her. And his voice, although heavy and normally hushed, was warm. Where as her's, had always been cold as the night she walked in, or the stars she traveled through.

She turned away from her reflection, seeking the spot she had come for. On through the woods, she walked, letting the cold wind guide her as it had always done. It pushed and pulled, bringing her closer to her favorite spot to relax, uninterrupted by her fellow fighters, or the world around her.

At last, she came across a clearing. The trees had disappeared, allowing her to take detail of the entire forest below the heights of the cliff. Behind her, the shadows of the forest shied away from the mother star's light, the moon's piercing gaze. Edging closer to the cliff's end, she peered down briefly; it was a long drop from the hill to the forest floor before her. Scrunching her nose, the tall lady sat down, allowing her left leg to hang over the edge idly, while she hugged her right. With her free hand, she tossed the fake teeth over the cliff.

Resting her chin on her knee, she retreated once more to her thoughts.

Her ears caught sound of the wind pushing against the trees, whistling songs to her as she watched the moon. This was her favorite spot, no one else knew about it, except one. She came here when she needed to sort her thoughts out, or escape from the hassles of being a smasher. She came here all too often, she had lost count. Of late, she had come to silence her soul's cries. The tournament was coming to an end soon, but she didn't want to go back to her old life.

It was too devoid of warmth. She had grown tired of being left without warmth. As much as she loved the moonlight, it only offered so much comfort. But he, he had been able to give her what she craved for. In the dark of her soul, he had lit a flickering light, chasing the shadows and demons of her past away fiercely. Though she had kept her distance as much as he from everyone else, they had little trouble finding a bond between themselves.

In fact, the first time she had met him, she discovered how similar he was to her. Despite it, she had decided not to grow attached to anyone in the tournament. Though, she believed she had failed that, for over the years it had become more apparent to herself. And she noticed it in him as well, they had grown attached.

There was a stirring in her that she looked forward to when she saw him, or he saw her. As thick as thieves, and inseparable from one another. She had seen a quality in him that she adored, his passion, and his warmth. He was able to calm her when her anger flared, or turn her bad days into good days.

But her heart had grown heavy with guilt. For her desire to feel warmth, to be held and caressed by his strong arms, she knew it would not last. For when the tournament ended, everyone would have to go home. There was no way to change it, to prolong the gift she was given, a gift she had asked for too long. And now when she had it, she must give it up.

It wasn't fair. She had sacrificed much and received little for so long. Her old life had forced her to create a cocoon around her heart, but the cold still seeped through like poison. The only cure, was him.

It wasn't his wavy blond hair, his pale skin, his humble attitude, his green tunic, or his pointy hat. It was his passion, the fire he had given to her freely. She felt her darkness lifted from her soul by his will, his mere presence warmed her and pulled her from the cocoon she had created. When he hugged her, he reminded her that he cared. That he would always be waiting for the next time they could share each others company. Whether in the arena, training, or mess hall; he was always happy to receive her company.

She loved that. Cherished it with great care. She told no one of her feelings, but she had a feeling he knew and shared hers. Raising her eyes back to the moon, she watched it move ever so subtly into midnight position. Its glow wrapping another cocoon of cold emptiness around her as it had always done in an effort to heal her sorrows.

That was when she felt the warmth. The feeling of large, strong arms wrap around her thin form and hold her firmly, but with care and respect. She felt his cheek lean against hers, engulfing her sitting form and tearing through her cocoon. His left knee down, and his right holding him steady as he pulled her to her feet, slowly.

She gave no objection as she closed her eyes, allowing him to lift her up. She was reminded of the height difference between them, but she soon forgot again. His chin rested on her shoulder as his arms transferred their warmth through hers, his cape moved in the wind slowly, but it was so large that it draped both of their forms with ease when the wind shifted to pushing them from behind.

Slowly, he pulled her away from the cliff side with ease. Her eyes opened and had found his closed and his mouth slightly agape. She allowed her head to fall back onto his shoulders as he pressed his lips to her neck briefly. When he lifted them, she turned her head into his, pecking his long ears before nudging against them. The wind whipped his hat's tail until it had come up and rested on her left shoulder, further encasing her in his grasp.

She turned around in his grip, wrapping her long, slender arms around his thick and cut chest and buried her head into his neck line. They remained there in silence for what seemed like forever, but the two warriors enjoyed it as long as they could. The remaining leaves moved as the midnight gusts continued to rush through them. Her fingers grasped his tunic, for it was colder now. The only protection from the low temperatures and the darkness' icy gaze was their warmth. Her arms tightened as she buried herself further into him, and he followed suit.

Finally, she raised her head and found his waiting for hers. They pressed their foreheads against themselves, taking in each others scent briefly. Their faces had become hidden by the darkness as the moon continued to pass over them, allowing the shadow of the forest to consume them.

As their vision adjusted, they allowed their eyes to analyze each other for a while longer before melting into a kiss that had further chased the cold away.


End file.
